Odom, LePage talk about possible change to signing periods

Missouri coach Barry Odom is against any early signing periods for football.
Missouri coach Barry Odom is against any early signing periods for football.

Barry Odom rarely brings up topics he's already been asked about unprompted.

Yet during a weekly press conference earlier this month, he did just that about college football's proposed early signing period. He gave his opinions on the subject after being asked, before fielding an unrelated question after. When he finished answering that question, he wanted to change the subject back to an early signing day.

It's a debate he feels that strongly about.

"Early signing dateI've got a lot of opinions on it," Missouri's head coach said with a pause. "I don't know how many I should say."

In short, those opinions are not favorable of the NCAA considering adding more days high school seniors can sign.

Division I and II football has one signing day currently for high school players, the first Wednesday in February. Players of any high school grade can announce their commitment to a school at any point in the year, but they and the school aren't bound until signing the signing of National Letter of Intent, accompanied by a football scholarship, in February.

But under new provisions being debated by the NCAA, players would have a 72-hour window in late-June and in mid-December to sign. Opinions on this idea are mixed.

Some, such as Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, are on record of favoring an early signing period, though Swinney prefers to have it in August. Others, such as Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer are pushing back 

Count Odom in that camp as well.

"We'll have to adjust and really make sure with the evaluations that we get to know everything we need to know about the kid," Odom said, "and the earlier you move that up and then you're judged on the results on the field, plus your APR ranking, plus your graduation rate, you better do a great job on finding out information about that kid before you accept him, before you make an offer and before you accept him."

Odom and Missouri have taken advantage of the current recruiting landscape. Two current Missouri freshman, wide receiver Dimetrios Mason and running back Damarea Crockett, initially verbally committed to other schools, but different circumstances led them to Missouri.

Mason was committed to South Alabama to play cornerback, but the Jaguars pulled their scholarship offer just days before signing day. Mason and his former high school coaches scrambled to get another FBS offer, and Missouri snagged him just before the deadline.

Crockett committed to Boise State, but Missouri still pushed hard to get him to change his commit. He didn't want to at first, until he fell in love with Missouri on his official visit and switched commitments just days before National Signing Day.

"I was a high school coach not that long ago and I know this, I wanted my kids focused on their senior season," Odom, a former head coach at Rock Bridge High School, said, "you know what I mean, their junior season, focused on that team before signing."

Jefferson City High School coach Ted LePage shares some of Odom's sentiments, though he is not opposed to the idea either.

"Early signing, if that helps then more power to you because that takes some of the pressure off players I think as the season goes on," LePage said, "so I don't have any issues with it."

Situations vary by player on if it would be wise to sign. Top recruits could get signing out of the way early and just focus on their senior year and helping their team. Others might want to wait to see if they are late-bloomers and can get better offers after their senior season.

"If you're a really good player as a sophomore or junior and you've already made your decision, that's where I think it helps," LePage said. "We have a young man, Dennis Barnes, if you look at last year he was a good player. This year, in my opinion, he's one of the tops in the state. If you start recruiting too early are you going to miss out? Are you going to miss somebody like a Dennis Barnes.

"I think a lot of colleges do because they want to get out and get the best players so early, I think sometimes we don't see kids develop."

Still, one of the biggest universal backdrops to an early signing period is players are locked into the school they signed with. What could be a good fit in June could become problematic in January.

A situation like this recently occurred at Baylor.

When it was revealed the school and program failed to take action of alleged sexual assaults against players, coach Art Briles and athletic director Ian McCaw both lost their jobs. Seven recruits who signed with Baylor asked the NCAA to grant them a release, while many verbal commitments from its class of 2017 decommitted.

Coaches, whether the head or an assistant coach, often can make the difference in a player choosing where to play, and it is not uncommon for players to change commitments if a coach is fired or goes elsewhere.

"Once you're signed, you're signed," LePage said, "That's the big part about early signing. You sign with a college and all of a sudden that college coach is either fired or moves on, and you've already early committed and he moves on to another college now.

"A lot of times they can take them with them if they are a verbal commit because they can unverbal. That's a contract, you sign that you're pretty much tied in."

Odom did speak more favorably about implementing a December signing period, which is when junior college players can sign with Division I or II schools. Not as not as much can change between then and February, and there are not as many issues with junior college signers wanting to change their mind.

Still, he's not overly fond about changing the current system which he said works just fine.

"I support what the NCAA comes out with," Odom said sarcastically with a laugh before shaking his head, "and I support theyeah.

"I just worry about kids being kids, and have the opportunity to enjoy your high school career, which is so short and it should be some of the funnest times of your life"